Virtual Incident Management Training

Training of traffic control personnel, emergency management personnel, and first-responders is essential in effectively managing the consequences of road construction, traffic incidents, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other large-scale emergencies. Traffic control personnel have no substitute for real life, hands-on training. However, the high cost of training personnel, multiplied by the sheer number of first responders who need to be trained, poses a significant challenge.

In collaboration with the I-95 Corridor Coalition, the CATT Lab has developed both a Core Competencies web application and a massively multiplayer online training simulation to be used together as a low-cost, high-impact supplemental program to train traffic management personnel and first-responders to react more efficiently to traffic incidents.

Virtual Incident Management Core Competencies

The Incident Management Core Competencies online course covers basic scene safety, protocols, terminology, and traffic management via a series of videos and quizzes. This certified course teaches the basic knowledge and skills that have become the standard among many agencies. It is free to use, and is publicly available.

Incident Management Core Competencies can be used as a standalone product, but was built to go hand in hand with the Virtual Incident Management training simulator. The CATT Lab’s goal with this online course is to make good incident management practices second nature before putting users into the training simulator, where they will spend time adjusting to the virtual environment.

Virtual Incident Management Training Simulator

This system was built to simulate a realistic, interactive, and collaborative training environment, with highly customizable training scenarios. Trainers can construct and manipulate simulations of incident scenes, ranging from a simple fender bender to complex hazmat fatality situations, in a matter of minutes.

Not only does this simulation allow trainers to create an incident scene, it populates the virtual environment with artificially intelligent traffic. This AI attempts to mimic real-world drivers, and their reactions to different traffic conditions.

The Virtual Incident Management Training system was built on top of a commercial gaming engine and heavily customized for training scenarios with targeted modifications. It has been tailored for a wide first-responder user base, ranging from the avid gamer to the computer novice. Significant amounts of research and development have been directed toward convenient usability, network optimization, and artificial intelligence. This system is currently being used as an effective alternative for training select field officials in the I-95 Corridor Coalition states.

Features

Customizable and Interactive Environment

Dynamic Fire and Vehicle Simulation

In-Simulation Voice Chat system

Traffic Artificial Intelligence

Scenario Recording and Playback

Drivable Vehicles

Online Accessibility

Customizable Avatars

Multiple unique user roles, each with inventory specific to their role